During the summer, general manager Bob Gainey thrills Montreal fans by sealing the deal with some local talent, trading for Calgary forward Alex Tanguay before adding 250 pounds of intimidation to the lineup in free agent Georges Laraque. Gainey adds the last piece to the 2008-09 puzzle by inking a pact with veteran center and Stanley Cup champion Robert Lang to kick things off.

The Habs explode out of the gate at the start of the team’s 100th season, suffering just one loss in the first 11 games of the year.

After a sizzling month of October, November 22, 2008 belongs to legendary goaltender Patrick Roy, who makes his triumphant return to Montreal. Back home in the Canadiens family after leading the Canadiens to the franchise’s previous two Stanley Cups, the Hall of Famer’s iconic No. 33 is retired forever, raised to the Bell Centre rafters amid a standing ovation from the Montreal faithful.

In January, all eyes are on Montreal as the best and brightest stars in the NHL flock to La Belle Province for the All-Star Game. Included on the exclusive invite list are four Habs standouts, all of whom are elected to the Eastern Conference starting lineup by voting fans. Defensemen Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov and goalie Carey Price join forces with Eastern captain and eventual All-Star Game MVP Alex Kovalev to guide the East to an electrifying 12-11 shootout win.

As the All-Star break comes to a close, a handful of Bulldogs accelerate their development, logging hundreds of frequent flier miles between Hamilton and Montreal. Ryan O’Byrne, Max Pacioretty, Ben Maxwell, Yannick Weber and Matt D’Agostini get some seasoning on the farm between stints with the big club, called in for reinforcements as the injury bug hits the Canadiens’ locker room

Decimated by injuries post-All-Star, the Habs’ walking wounded begin their parade to the team’s clinic. Leading scorer Robert Lang suffers a devastating injury on February 1, tearing his Achilles tendon and leaving him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

The team hits a speed bump in February as Guy Carbonneau’s troops hit the road for a six game Western road trip, failing to register a win in that span. Heading into March, the Canadiens post just four victories over the course of the month.

On March 9, head coach Guy Carbonneau is thanked for his services and general manager Bob Gainey takes his place behind the Habs bench for the rest of the season. A star-studded line is born, with captain Saku Koivu centering Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay. Carrying the team on their backs, the trio posts a combined 36 points between then from March 24 to April 6 to close out the season. The offensive prowess of the Habs’ top line earns the Canadiens the last playoff berth in the East, finishing eighth in the conference.

THE PLAYOFFS

Keeping with tradition, the Canadiens prepare to faceoff against the Bruins in yet another First Round playoff tilt. The deck is stacked against the Canadiens this time, however, having beaten the B’s just once during the regular season.

The series kicks off on enemy soil for the Habs, with both teams throwing their weight around to set the tone early on. Despite a gritty performance, the injury-riddled Habs are unable to snuff out the Bruins’ offense, losing the first two games on the road.

Back in front of the Bell Centre crowd for Game 3, injuries continue to pile up and one by one, the team’s biggest stars are held out of the lineup. Blue-liners Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider, plus forward Alex Tanguay are unable to answer the call for the Habs. Despite a strong start, the Canadiens can’t fend off the Boston attack and Claude Julien’s crew takes a 3-0 series lead.

Sniffing blood in Montreal, Boston has the chance to put the final nail in the coffin and doesn’t miss the opportunity to complete the first round sweep. The Canadiens drop a 4-1 decision, officially seeing their season come to an end after Game 4.